Second Chances
by acciosilverdoe
Summary: Complete. Just because she moved for one person, doesn't mean she won't stay for another. Addison/Alex, with some Addison/Derek and Derek/Meredith.
1. Second Chances

Derek Shepherd had never been a fan of second chances. He believed that people didn't change, & were set to a certain way for their whole life. He believed that no matter how hard someone tried, they could never shake any guilt they once felt. But suddenly, he had been thrown into a life of giving second chance, even to the people he thought didn't deserve them at all.

The day he found his wife in bed with his best friend, he felt his life crash down around him. How could they betray him like that? He had vowed then that he would never give either of them a second chance. The days that followed were hard for Derek. He had to make huge, life-changing decisions quickly, something he should have been good at as a brain surgeon. He shut himself out from the world, from his friends & family, to concentrate on the many questions which filled his mind. His phone was constantly ringing: calls from his wife & best friends, wanting forgiveness of at least a confrontation. Usually, he'd want to talk it through, find & kill the problems which lead to the disaster, but this was different. This disaster wasn't something he could fix with a scalpel. As much as he wanted to know the reasons, he couldn't face them. He needed to get away. It was then that he remembered the call he had received just two weeks ago from Richard Webber. Webber was the Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace Hospital. He had asked if Derek & Addison wanted to work with him at his hospital. They had turned him down, but Derek had a feeling it wouldn't be too late to change his mind.

It was settled by the next morning. He would leave New York whenever he was ready, but he was more than ready. It only took him a few hours to pack, he had nowhere to stay in Seattle so he couldn't take much, & he found some pleasure in leaving behind photographs of him, Addison & Mark. He would send her the keys, she could pick up the pieces he left behind.

He didn't leave a note, nothing to say where he was going. He knew Addison would remember how keen on Seattle Derek had seemed & realise that was where he had gone. But he was too hurt to care. She could come to Seattle, pour her heart out, beg for forgiveness, whatever she wanted. But he wouldn't cave. He promised himself that.

He arrived at Seattle Grace Hospital, a new doctor with nothing on his conscience. Nobody knew his past, his, pain, or anything about him. That was probably the biggest factor that attracted Derek. He had told Dr.Webber that he & Addison were over, he didn't want to be reminded of her. He didn't go into details, just that she was in his past now. He didn't want the sympathy he would get, & besides, he doubted he could tell anyone without either breaking down or breaking something.

So he started a fresh new life in Seattle. Nobody, except Webber, knew he was ever married. He was the mysterious new doctor, he loved that, he thrived on it.

He revelled in the attention her got. Took in the praise from fellow doctors & felt he settled in well. He liked Seattle, & for the first time in his life, he gave something a second chance: love. 


	2. Fairytales

Author's note: Hey guys, thanks for all the reviews I got, I love reading them so keep them coming!!

I write my stories down on paper first & I'm on the fifth chapter but it could still change so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know! I'm really enjoying this FanFic it's fun to write!!

Just so you know, there may be bits in this story that are facts from the show but are really different, just go with it LOL

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's, I wish I did, there would be way more Addex!

Anyway, let's get on with it!! Enjoy…

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Fairytales

Meredith Grey had always had her life planned. She would follow in her mother's footsteps to become a surgeon, fall in love with the man of her dreams & live happily ever after, just like a fairytale. Her friends thought she was crazy; they just wanted to have fun. They didn't understand how she could settle for a life so boring. But she was happy.

Her mother was Ellie Grey, one of the best surgeons in America. Meredith knew she would excel in medical school with her mother's help. But what she didn't know then was that things change. It started with simple things, like forgetting where the car keys were or leaving lights on. Then it got worse; sugar ended up in the fridge, milk ended up in the oven, & there was more than one burnt dinner a week. But then it got much worse; she'd leave surgeries unfinished, come home at various times or even forget where she lived. It was then that Meredith realised her fairytale wasn't going to come true, her mother needed help.

Two weeks later, her mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She moved into a care centre where she was watched 24/7 by trained nurses. Meredith visited often, but she could see her mother slowly getting worse. She began to forget vital pieces of her life, & soon she forgot Meredith.

Meredith visited less often then. Part of her was scared of what her mother might do. Part of her couldn't bear to see her mother so ill. So she threw herself into work, it was her escape.

She gave up on finding her prince charming. She had a few meaningless relationships, but nothing special. Work came first for her.

The night before her first day as an intern at Seattle Grace Hospital, she searched for somewhere to go to relax. She found Emerald City Bar. Joe, the bartender, was friendly & she sat talking with him for some time. She was nervous about her first day at work, & knew drinking wouldn't help her, but that didn't stop her. She had a few drinks & soon relaxed. And it was then that she met the guy who could possibly be her dream guy.

Derek Shepherd was gorgeous, kind, interesting, everything Meredith had ever dreamed of. She didn't know him all that well, but still found herself waking up next to him the next morning. But as she watched him leave, she had a feeling they'd meet again.

And they did; he was her boss, well, he was her boss' boss. She wanted him, however, & he wanted her. But their jobs came first. Even with this in mind, they gradually found themselves as a couple, despite the trouble they got in at work.

She didn't tell him about her mother, she didn't tell any of her friends either. She wanted to believe she could handle it herself, but she was beginning to realise that she couldn't. She could see her getting worse. It was getting harder, getting more painful.

So she gave up, she let herself fall in love. Derek seemed happy, & she certainly was. The only thing she wondered about was his secrets, his mysterious side. But this was definitely part of the attraction. He didn't give anything away no matter how much she asked. She trusted him.

Which was why she was shocked to discover the truth. One night, just as they were leaving the hospital, he became edgy as a strange woman appeared. & it was then that she found out he was married.

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A/N: Okay, thanks for reading. Please review! The next chapter is Addison, & then the story really begins!! Hope you enjoyed it, thanks, Beth x 


	3. Mistakes

Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in ages, been in France & busy with school work etc. Here's Chapter 3 which is Addison, & a bit of Mark I suppose. I know these Chapters kinda suck but they set the scene. I'll have the next Chapter, the proper story starts then by the way, either tomorrow or Wednesday I promise!!

Anyway, I have a proposition for you guys, well I have two actually!! Firstly, what should my next story be about? I have two other Addex/Addisex ones & another one with Merder/MerMark/MerAddi friendship. But I always want to start new ones so what do you think. Secondly, I don't like the title 'Second Chances' so what should I change it to? Any suggestions will do!

Anyway, let's get going now rather than me boring you!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's, if I did there would be waaayyy too much Addex in it that it should be called Addex Anatomy. J

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Chapter 3-Mistakes

Everything in Addison Montgomery's life always had to be perfect. She was an A student in school, she aced medical school & her internship & soon became one of the best neonatal doctors in America. She grew up in New York, dreaming constantly of her perfect life ahead.

She met Derek Shepherd in medical school, & he, along with his best friend Mark Sloane, soon became her friend. She started dating Derek & after three years they got married.

At first, their life together was happy. They worked along side each other & were best friends. But Derek soon began to change. He'd work late, sometimes not coming home at all. She felt along & betrayed.

But she had Mark. Mark was always there when she need someone. He knew he couldn't be Derek for her but he would try to be someone she could rely on. He loved her, he always had, & was beginning to believe she saw something in him too. He hated seeing her alone & upset, he hated what Derek was doing to her, but when Mark confronted him he denied it. He told Mark that they were happy, that Addison was okay with him working so much & understood. But Mark knew how she really felt.

So he told her, he had to. He arrived at her house on a cold, wet night. There was a storm approaching but it was still perfect for him. He knocked on her door, sure of what he was going to say.

He told her that he loved her, told her he always had. He told her that he knew how she was hurting & wanted her to feel better. He told her that the way Derek was treating her wasn't right & that she had to tell him.

This was what Addison needed, just not from Mark. She wanted Derek to be saying these things, telling her he was sorry & that he understood how hurt she was. But she needed someone. So she gave in & kissed him, she didn't know what she was doing but she found herself following his lead.

She felt comfortable with Mark, but she knew she'd betrayed Derek by sleeping with Mark. She was married! She told herself over & over again.

And she was still telling herself that when the door opened & Derek found them, together. She'd jumped up immediately, wrapping she sheet around her, chasing Derek down the hall. She ran in & out of rooms after him, watching as he collected his stuff. She didn't know what else she could say except 'sorry'.

She watched him leave. She begged him to stay, to give them another chance. But he left her. Her world collapsing around her, she had no one to turn to except Mark. She knew it was her fault that Derek had left, well her & Mark's fault. She blamed him, for telling her he loved her. She blamed Derek, for working so much & causing her to cave in to Mark's comforting words. She blamed herself, for not telling Derek how she felt & for not restraining herself.

Clearing Derek's office was the worst part. He'd taken nothing to remind himself of Addison, like he'd completely blocked her out.

She couldn't bear to live alone, so she moved in with Mark. She knew it was a mistake, & in the three months she lived with him she made a lot more. The biggest one in her eyes was falling in love with him. She always knew he would cheat on her but she didn't care, she couldn't be alone.

She finally snapped when she found him with a nurse. It wasn't a surprise to her, but she knew she had to leave. So she moved to Seattle, mostly for Richard Webber & her chance for her own neonatal clinic. But also for her husband, who she discovered there, in love with Meredith Grey.

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A/N-Okay, background over!!! Please review & I'll have the next chapter up in a couple of days. Also, let me know about my next story & a better title please!

-Beth- 


	4. Whatever Gets You Through Today

Author's Note: Sorry I took so long to update, a week late I think, but nobody reviewed the last chapter which meant I had to decide whether or not to carry on. But I've written quite a bit more so I decided to carry on. Here's the next chapter, please review.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

Please review!!! Make me happy!!

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"And you must be the woman who's been screwing my husband."

The words rang over & over in Meredith's head. Derek was married? Her mouth hung open as she stared from Derek to Addison. How could this have slipped his mind? She faintly heard Derek saying her name & apologizing, but the questions filling her head drowned him out.

Derek couldn't believe Addison. Maybe he'd asked for it, but why had she waited three months before coming after him. Three months; long enough for him to settle in, make friends, fall in love. He apologized again to Meredith, hoping this time she would react, he couldn't do anything else. He stared in disgust at Addison.

Addison knew what she'd done was harsh, but what did he expect? She glanced at Meredith, taking in her features. She was hardly like Addison, but she had the same look that hinted stubbornness. Addison waited for someone to react, she wasn't going to back down & walk away, & besides she was here for Richard. If he needed her for longer than was originally intended, she wouldn't hesitate to stay, but she would give Derek the chance to choose between her & Meredith.

Meredith couldn't stand the tension in the area. She didn't want to leave but knew Addison wouldn't. She blinked back the tears which were forming in her eyes & turned to walk away.

"Meredith?" Derek called after her.

"No, Derek," Meredith turned back to face him. "Just leave it. I can't come between the two of you, no matter how badly I want to."

She turned back, walking away & out of the hospital. She wanted Derek to run after her, to stop her, to prove that he felt the same about her as she did about him.

But he didn't, he couldn't. Addison watched him closely expecting him to follow her, but he surprised her.

Turning back to her, he said: "What do you want, Addison?"

"I'm not here for you. Richard called me. I'm here for him & the possibility of my own clinic. I didn't even know you were here until Richard told me yesterday," she smiled slightly. "You told him we were over. That was a lie, Derek, we're still married. & we will work this out, I'm sure of it."

"Whatever you want to believe," Derek shrugged.

Addison stared at him for a moment, wondering where the man she married had gone. He had changed so much, but she knew she only had herself to blame for that.

"You've really changed," she smiled again.

"Don't try to make this nice, because it isn't going to work. Yes, I have changed. I'm better than I was when we were together," Addison flinched slightly when he referred to them in the past tense. Derek had so much he wanted to say, he didn't know where to begin. "Why so long? Why didn't you follow me before. You must have known where I was."

"Yeah, I did know. It only took me a couple of days to remember how much you liked the idea of Seattle. But that wasn't it, really. I didn't want to start a new place with us hating each other, always fighting. I wasn't ready to give up, Derek, & even after three months I'm not. But you deserve the truth. Is there anywhere we can go to talk?"

"You want to talk?" Derek asked. She nodded & he spoke again: "We could go to Joe's. But there will probably be people from the hospital there, you okay with that?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I'd like to meet some of your friends."

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Emerald City Bar was reasonably quiet when they arrived. Derek was sure he'd see people from the hospital soon, but he'd deal with that if & when it happened.

Addison looked around, taking in her surroundings. The room was bigger than she expected, & she knew they could easily hide if there was someone who needed to be avoided. There was about ten tables dotted around the room, about half of which with people at them. There were three people at the bar, all of which lost in thought.

"You can go sit down, I'll get you a drink," Derek said, motioning towards a spare table.

Addison nodded & they went their separate ways. She sat down & continued scanning the room. She saw Derek take a seat at the bar & decided to give him time to reflect on the evening's events. She knew it'd been hard on him.

She turned to face the door as it opened & three people walked in. Addison guessed they were in their mid-twenties & they all looked tired, probably from a long day at work. They were lost in a conversation. Her eyes moved round to look back at Derek who was also watching the three people walk across the room. He caught her eye & gestured for her to join him. She raised her eyebrows & walked over to sit on the stool next to him.

"They," he said, pointing at the three people, "are interns at the hospital. I'll warn you now, they're friends on Meredith's, which means she'll probably be here soon. Just thought you should know," Derek avoided Addison's eyes.

She waited a moment, choosing her words carefully.

"Derek," she paused. "Derek," she touched his arm & he looked at her. "We both know we're going to see her around so we may as well get used to it."

"I'm sorry Addie."

"For what? I'm the one who wrecked our marriage in the first place, I realise Meredith was revenge for what I did. I don't really blame you. We both messed up, we both made mistakes, & now we're both going to work hard & fix them. We can do it, Derek, it's us. We made it through a lot, & we're good together, you & I both know that," she smiled at him.

"Yeah, I shouldn't have spent so much time at work, but you should have told me how you felt," Derek agreed, also smiling.

She leant in & kissed his cheek, feeling the familiarity of his skin against hers.

He glanced quickly at the interns, but more of them seemed to notice. None of them had even noticed Derek was there. He smiled at Addison again. Even after all they'd been through, he still believed it could work. He still hated what she'd done, but he also hated how he hadn't paid her enough attention. Now, he just wanted the truth.

He opened his mouth to ask what had really happened, but was silenced by an intern.

"Hey, Dr.Shepherd," he turned to the interns & smiled weakly.

They walked over to him, greeted him, blissfully unaware of who Addison was.

"Hi," he said, unsure of how to continue. He looked at Addison who was eager to be introduced. "This is Dr.-" he paused when the intern shook his head. "This is Alex, this is George & this is Izzie."

"Hey," Addison smiled, fitting the names with faces. Alex had short hair, he was cute, she thought to herself. Izzie had blonde hair falling around her shoulders, & George looked shy.

"This is-" Derek began.

"Derek," Addison stopped him. He looked at her & followed her gaze to the door where Meredith stood.

She had her head down & was walking towards them. As she approached, she looked at the interns, still not noticing Derek & Addison.

"You okay, Mer?" George asked.

She shook her head.

Addison watched Derek closely. "We should go," she whispered in his ear. He nodded & stood up.

Meredith turned to look at him, then, & her face turned from sadness to shock. When she saw Addison, she turned away again.

"Meredith-" Derek began.

"No, you're sorry, I get that. It's fine," she moved to the side, next to Izzie. She looked at Addison & sighed. "I'm sorry too."

Alex & Izzie looked at each other confused. "What's going on?" Alex asked.

"This is Dr.Shepherd's wife," Meredith said.

All three interns looked at her, shocked, & then to Derek & Addison. They all sat in silence for a while, taking in the news.

"I'm sorry Mer," Izzie said, not knowing how else to break the awkward silence. She looked at Alex & George, who looked as shocked as she felt.

No one said anything else for a while, all watching each other closely. Addison expected one of them to make a snide comment, but they seemed more shocked than angry. She bit her lip & stood up. All five pairs of eyes watched her as she smiled 'goodbye' & walked away. Derek then stood & looked at Meredith. She shook her head.

"I have to go," he followed Addison & Meredith realized he had made his choice.

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A/N: Okay, thanks for reading. Ummm, please review!! I know I keep saying it but I won't carry on this Fic if nobody reviews!! Anyway, next chapter will be up soon.

Oh yeah, Izzie & Alex never happened in this story! I never liked them, so they're just friends. Addison & Alex will happen sooner than in the show too, YAY!! 


	5. Fools In Love

Quick note: Okay, I feel like an update!! I know it's been ages but I don't really have a lot of time on the computer spare. I realised when I was reading this Fic through that Cristina isn't in it much, sorry about that I seem to forget her a lot! Izzie is more of Mer's friend. Sorry :

This chapter: an unwanted visitor for Addie & Derek, some Addex too :

Disclaimer: I don't own Grey's or anything related to it. I do, however, own Matthew Kingston!! He's all mine :

Please review, & I'm uploading a new story after this: so read & review 'Intuition' too!!

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It took everyone a few weeks to get used to Addison. At first, many people saw her as a liar, someone who didn't deserve a second chance, but slowly they realised Derek was just as at fault as her, if not more.

Despite everyone's expectations, Meredith was the most accepting. She understood how Derek had to give his marriage another show. She was upset, obviously, she'd given everything to Derek. But it wasn't enough, so she settled with being his friend. She even began to be friends with Addison.

The interns also accepted Addison now, not that they always liked her. Alex Karev was forced to work with her often, & he saw how stubborn she really was. Izzie Stevens avoided her mostly, seeing how close her & Meredith were, but she didn't tend to be very accepting of new people anyway. George, however, was split. He hated to see Meredith upset, but he wanted to be the one to comfort her when she didn't know which was to turn.

"Okay, Grey & Stevens, you're with Shepherd. Karev with Montgomery-Shepherd. O'Malley with Burke & Yang you cover the pit. Now get to work," Bailey's voice echoed the hospital, alerting the interns & attending of their day's work plan.

It was a sunny day, rare in Seattle, & everyone wished they were outside. But instead they were inside saving lives & dealing with problems.

As the doctors walked off in different directions, Alex ran to catch up with Addison.

"Hey."

"Oh, hello Karev. Nice of you to join me," Addison glanced at him & smiled at his put-out look. "We have a scan this morning, but that's all for today. So we can get some rest hopefully." Alex followed her into the patient's room. "This is Mrs. Sayer. Mrs. Sayer, this is my intern, Dr. Karev."

"Hi," Alex greeted her politely, smiling. He couldn't believe Addison was already making him doubt his choice of speciality.

"Grey, Stevens, this is Matthew Kingston. He's been in a coma for three years but has begun to show signs of waking up. We need to find out what we can do to help him," Derek said whilst handing the chart to Meredith.

Both interns nodded.

"One of you stay with him, the other can come with me to my next patient," Derek said.

"I'll stay," Meredith offered, taking a seat next to the bed, not wanting to be alone with Derek.

"Okay, Stevens, let's go," Derek walked out & Izzie followed.

As Meredith sat in the chair, she thought back over the past few months. She'd been happy with Derek, he made me forget everything that had ever gone wrong in her life. She didn't worry so much about her mother, she forgot the pain of previous relationships & the stress she was under at work. She'd fallen in love, but now it had all been ripped away & she felt alone & vulnerable again.

She turned to look at Matthew Kingston when she heard a noise. Her eyes widened & she froze. His eyes were open & he was looking directly at her.

"Okay, all done," Addison said while she packed away the equipment. " If you go to the desk they'll make you another appointment."

"Thank you," Mrs. Sayer smiled, leaving the room.

Addison turned to face Alex. "I'm going to go check there's no more cases we're needed on, then I'm going to get some food. I'll page you if I need you," she began towards the door.

"Okay, thanks," Alex said watching her leave.

She walked down the corridor towards the nurse's station hoping there were no more cases & she could eat. As she got closer, she heard a familiar voice:

"I'm not a patient, I'm a visitor. How many times do I have to tell you?" She heard the voice say.

What the hell was he doing here?

Derek left Izzie checking their patient & made his way to pick up some more files. As he rounded the corner, he heard the same familiar voice.

He looked up & saw Addison on the steps opposite. He caught her eye & they stared in disbelief at each other for a moment.

"Addison!" the voice exclaimer. Derek's shoulders slumped as he remembered everything.

"Dr. Shepherd?" he turned around.

"Dr. Grey, are you okay?"

"It's Matthew Kingston, he woke up & looked at me, I mean directly at me," Derek raised his eyebrows. "He spoke to me."

"Okay, let's-" he was cut off.

"Derek!" Once again his shoulders slumped at the deep voice.

He turned around shaking his head.

"Mark."

Alex Karev walked down the hall towards the cafeteria wondering how much longer he would be assigned to Dr. Montgomery-Shepherd. As much as he liked working with her, he knew he could never admit it with being mocked for ages. And besides, he wanted to be in plastics.

He walked past the nurse's station & paused a moment to analyse the scene. Derek & Addison were facing a tall man, both looking shocked & pissed off. Nobody was working, just watching.

As he got closer, he could her snippets of the conversation.

"Mark, why are you here?

"That's a nice welcome for your best friend!"

"You shouldn't be here."

"Why not?"

"You have to leave."

"I'm not leaving.

"Just let it go, Mark, please."

"I'll leave when I've said what I came to say."

There was silence for a while. Alex stood, anticipating the next part of the conversation. He studied 'Mark', knowing he knew him from somewhere, just not quite remembering where.

"What do you have to say, Mark?" Derek said impatiently. "Just get it over with."

"I'm sorry, both of you-" he began.

"It's not that simple, Mark, you get that surely. You're not meant to mess people up more you're meant to fix them & make things better," Derek said angrily.

Mark Sloan, that's who it was. The go-to plastic surgeon on the East Coast. Alex idolised him.

Addison kept quiet during their argument, knowing what would be said if she spoke up. She glanced every now & then around the room, & noticed Alex. She looked at him desperately hoping he understood.

She looked like she needed his help. Backing off around the corner, Alex grabbed his pager to alert her of the 'emergency'. She came straight away, of course, but not before Derek said something:

"You knew he was coming. You knew & you did this to piss me off. I forgave you once but you'll have a hell of a hard time getting me to do it again," Alex heard him say.

When Addison cam round the corner, her eyes were full of tears.

"Thank you," she smiled weakly, carrying on down the corridor.

Alex followed her, worried & knowing she needed someone to talk to. She walked into a nearby supply closet & closed the door. Alex stood outside for a moment, deciding whether or not to go in. He stepped forwards & pushed open the door.

Addison was sat on an old first-aid box behind the door, her face wet with tears. She looked up as he entered & watched as he took a seat beside her. Neither said anything.

He looked at her for a moment, putting his arm around her shoulders. At first she flinched at his touch, but soon she accepted it. Her head gradually moved to rest to his shoulder, her long, red hair spread out down his back. He moved his other hand to brush the hair out of her eyes & felt how wet her face was.

"This can't be happening to me, not now, not just as I'm finally becoming happy again," she whispered.

"What happened? I mean with Sloan?" Alex asked.

"You know Mark?" Addison asked, her voice a little louder. She lifted her head.

"I know of him."

She nodded. "That's always best," her head dropped back onto his shoulder. "He was the one who almost broke my marriage."

Alex nodded. He squeezed her shoulder to let her know he was there. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make anything awkward. You didn't have to tell me," he mumbled, unsure of what to say.

"It's okay. You had to find out somehow. I'd rather me tell you than you hear it through hospital gossip," Addison sighed. "Thank you, Karev. I mean, I know I asked you to help me get away but you didn't have to follow me. It means a lot that you care."

Alex smiled, knowing she couldn't see him, but liking the feeling he got when she said she was grateful. "That's okay. I heard what Shepherd said to you, by the way, & I think it was out of order. You didn't know he was coming, did you?"

Addison shook her head. "No, I haven't spoken to him since I left New York, & I was set on keeping it that way. I didn't want to see him. Derek & I are finally getting back on track & now Mark shows up. I left him behind, he can't be here."

"Is he staying for good?"

"I hope not. He hates the rain so he'll hate Seattle. But it's Mark, & if he wants something he'll fight like hell to get it. Nothing stops him," Addison shut her eyes to fight back the tears.

"What does he want?" Alex asked.

She lifted her head to look at him & he turned to face her. Their faces were only centimeters apart. Alex could see her eyes were bloodshot from all the crying, & her face was red. She watched him study her face, wondering what he must think of the mess she was right now. Alex Karev wasn't usually the caring type, Today, he had surprised her, & in a really, really good way. He wanted to be there for her. Addison wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, what with Derek & Mark, but she liked the fact that someone cared.

She sighed again, "Me."

Alex nodded. He could understand why Mark would want her. He moved his hand to brush the hair from her eyes again. She watched him cautiously, unsure what he might do next. His hand lingered on her cheek for a moment. Addison swallowed & moved back to rest her head comfortably on his shoulder.

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Thanks for reading, please review. Next chapter: tiny bit more Addex, some Maddison too. And the return of Matthew Kingston (that's not creepy LOL). 


	6. I Remember

I hate Alex! I hate Alex I hate Alex I hate Alex.. (could go on a while!). Seriously, he's a jerk. And now Addie's leaving! Getting her own show, sucks.

Sorry, not much Addex in here which sucks but there will be more further in the story.

Anyways, the next chapter..thanks for the reviews! )

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"Mark, just leave, you're not wanted here," Derek repeated.

"I'll go when I've done what I came here to do," Mark said, wondering if this time Derek would take it in. "And that involves Addison, who isn't here right now, so I'll have to wait."

Derek glared at him, "what do you want from her? We're happy, Mark, something you ruined in the first place."

Derek heard a cough behind him & turned to face Meredith.

"Mr. Kingston.." Meredith trailed off as Derek remembered.

"Okay, let's go," he said, leaving Mark behind.

"I'll just wait here then," Mark called after him. He sighed as he looked for somewhere to sit.

"I should really go," Addison broke the silence. She liked the silence, for once it was relaxing instead of awkward.

They were still sitting next to one another, her head rested on his shoulder & his arm draped loosely around her. She wasn't sure what this meant, but she liked it. She stood up reluctantly & he followed.

"Dr. Mont-" Alex began.

"Seriously?" Addison said with a slight smile. "It's Addison."

"Right," he paused, "Addison." She liked the way he said it. "Don't go, at least not yet."

"I have to. I need to go home & I need to face Derek, & Mark," she watched him closely.

He nodded, knowing she was right but hating it. He watched her open the door & leave. He sighed & sat back down, burying his head in his hands. How was this happening? She was being so nice to him, & he felt happy just sitting with her. He didn't really understand the way he felt.

Addison made her way as quickly as she could to the locker room to change. She didn't want to face Derek or Mark right now, & she couldn't get Alex off her mind. What had just happened? He really seemed to care about her, seemed to want to make her feel better. And he had, she felt a weight had been lifted off her shoulders just talking to him. But that didn't explain the way she had felt when he touched her cheek, or the way she felt so comfortable with his arm around her. She couldn't, surely, be falling for her intern. Could she?

When Meredith & Derek walked back into Matthew Kingston's room, he was sat up in his bed looking around in a daze. His eyes darted towards the two doctors & he frowned, even more confused.

"Hello, Mr. Kingston. I'm Dr. Shepherd & this is Dr. Grey. We've been looking after you for the past few days. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"O-okay. I don't know why I'm here," he replied, wanting answers rather than questions.

"Well we'll get to that in a moment," Derek said whilst finding a pen. "Firstly, could you tell me what year it is please?"

"Umm.. 2004."

"Okay, what's the last thing you remember?"

Mr. Kingston thought for a moment. "I remember it was a Wednesday morning. It was sunny, a bit like today. I remember kissing Heather, my wife, goodbye. I took the kids to school, I remember Becca was excited because she was going to her friend's house that evening, & Nathan had double science first which he wasn't looking forward to. I remember telling Becca to call when she wanted to be picked up & telling Nathan that his lesson would be fine. I waved goodbye to them, & told them I'd see them later. And then I began to drive to work. There was a big hold up because a lorry had crashed. I remember calling into work to say I'd be late, & taking a short cut to avoid being so late. It was a narrow road, just about wide enough for one car. I wasn't going faster than the limit. I remember seeing a van coming the other way & the driver was on his phone not paying attention. He was speeding for sure. I remember beeping to alert him that I was there but he didn't react. And I remember…" he paused, looking confused again. "I don't remember any more," his head dropped & he closed his eyes to shop himself crying.

Meredith watched him & sighed. She saw the pain he felt when he realised what had happened, the worry that shot though his eyes. She wanted to tell him everything was okay, but she knew that wasn't true.

"Okay, well I think we're covered your earlier question of what happened," Derek watched the patient.

Matthew nodded, "please could you leave now?" He looked from Meredith to Derek, who both nodded.

As they left & shut the door, Derek turned to Meredith.

"We need to talk," when she nodded, he continued. "Can we go somewhere, the cafeteria, maybe?"

"Okay, fine, let's get it over with."

Addison changed out of her scrubs quickly. She put on a pair of jeans & a black top, what she wore on relaxing days. She wanted to forget everything, she wanted to relax.

She grabbed the door knob & opened the door. Not looking where she was going, she walked straight into Mark. She ran her hand through her hair, defeated.

"Addie, we need to talk."

"I have nothing to say, Mark."

"Well I have plenty to say."

He grabbed her arm, pushing her back into the locker room.

"Mark, let me go."

"No, Addison. I have to talk to you. You left without warning. First I lost my best friend then I lost the woman I loved. The woman I LOVE. You're back with him now, why can't you just forgive me?" Mark took a breath & Addison jumped in.

"Don't say that, you never loved me. I don't think you even went a week without sleeping with someone else when we were together. I loved you, but you never, ever loved me," Addison glared at him.

His mouth formed into a grin, that cocky grin that Addison had seen so many times before & had grown to hate. I meant he knew something that would throw her off course totally. She continued to glare at him but the smile didn't vanish.

"What Mark?" She finally gave in.

"You! You know you'll never get over me. I find it charming," he said still grinning.

"Shut up, Mark," she said, almost snarling. "And for god's sakes stop grinning."

"Why?"

She glared at him.

"Come on, Addie," he took a step towards her. "Don't get nasty," he took another step. "You can't resist me, really," he took another step & closed the little gap that remained between them.

Their faces were centimeters apart, & she could feel his breath hot on her cheek. He leant in to kiss her lips.

Suddenly, she realised what was happening. She jumped backwards & slapped his cheek. His hand raised immediately to nurse the pain. He stopped grinning then.

"What was that for?" he asked, sounding a little hurt.

"For everything! For ruining my marriage, for making me fall in love with you, & for breaking my heart. I am not letting you ruin the little chance I have left with Derek now. Leave, Mark, go back to New York," she took a deep breath, dodged around him & went back to the corridor leaving him standing holding his face like a wounded child.

Alex Karev wasn't the kind of guy to fall in love. Sure, he'd been with plenty of women, but he had never really fallen hard for anyone. At least not until now. The way Addison was making him feel was really odd to him, but he liked it. He liked the way he could be himself, he liked the way he felt around her, & he loved that she didn't seem to be fazed by the effect they had on each other. Maybe it was a mistake, maybe it was really, really bad, but the chance was way to tempting to resist.

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Okay, thanks. Please review!! Next chapter will be up ASAP! Bethxx 


	7. What Have I Done To Deserve This?

Hey, so I realise I haven't updated this is ages cuz I've been concentrating on 'Intuition' (which if you haven't already please read!!). I'm only updating this now cuz it's a short chapter. It's only really a filler chapter but please review anyway!!

Disclaimer: Don't own Grey's Anatomy or anything related to it.

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"In here?" Derek asked whilst pushing open the door of an on-call room. Thankfully, it was empty.

Meredith nodded. She wasn't sure whether she should be doing this but she knew Derek was right in that they needed to talk. He closed the door & turned to face her, smiling slightly.

"Okay, I, um, I don't really know where to start," he stuttered.

"How about the beginning?"

"You want to know everything?" Derek said surprised.

Meredith nodded, "yeah."

He took a deep breath. "Okay, then let's sit," he motioned towards the bed & sat opposite her. He watched as she looked expectantly at him. "The man who Addison & I were talking to earlier was Mark Sloan. He was a friend of ours in New York," he looked down at the floor. "You know I'm just gonna tell you it condensed down. We were happy as friends, for years, but I guess I started to drift. I know I spent more time at the hospital than I should have but it was getting to the point where I couldn't leave. But I came home one day & found Mark & Addison in bed together. That's when I moved here. Eleven years to ruin it with Mark Sloan! I don' get it."

"If she hurt you so badly, why did you take her back?"

"Because I love her. Ever since I met her I wanted her. I don't know if she knew Mark was coming today, but I don't trust him one bit," Derek looked up at her. "I'm sorry for hurting you, Mer, I really am. I'm not going to lie to you, you weren't revenge or anything to make me feel better about what Addison did to me. I fell in love with you. I'm so sorry," he took a deep breath & watched her.

Meredith nodded slowly. She understood why Derek had to take his wife back as much as she hated it. She couldn't think of anything to say, so she just nodded. She stood up & walked over to the door. She turned around to say something but decided against it as she knew it would hurt him. She walked out & closed the door leaving Derek sitting alone.

Alex had searched every on-call room & every supply closet in the hospital for Addison, sure she'd be hiding in one. He was desperate to find her but still unsure of what he'd say when he did.

He made his way towards the entrance & stood staring out for a few minutes. Why was he so desperate to find her? He couldn't understand the need he had to make her feel better.

He sighed & walked through the door, quickly scanning the car park. Her car was still sitting in a space just opposite & he could see a silhouette of Addison inside. He took a deep breath & walked over to the car. He tapped on the window, opened the door gently & kneeled down beside her.

He took in her tear-streaked face. Her mascara ran in thick black lines down her face & he lipstick was smudged. Her hair was a mess with much of it wet from tears.

She watched him closely waiting for him to speak but he never did. Instead he reached up to tuck he hair behind her ears & softly gazed her cheek with the back on his hand. She gasped as a shock ran down her spine. She hated that she felt so comfortable around him. What did it all mean? She was still married to Derek, & Mark showing up just threw her all over the place.

"Alex, I-"

"Shh, it's okay," he reassured her.

"Alex, I need to go," she said suddenly breaking the peace between them. She turned to the wheel & Alex stood to get out of the way. She started the car & left Alex standing alone & very confused.

"Hey," Mark spoke to the intern standing beside him at the bar.

"You're Mark Sloan right?" Mark nodded. "Okay, I'm George O'Malley."

"Hi George."

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Did something happen with you & the Shepherds?" George asked.

Mark nodded, "Yeah."

"Okay," George said, really he'd wanted more but he was too shy to ask.

Mark sensed his tone & continued.

"Derek & I have been friends for years, we grew up together. I knew I could count on him for anything & he could count on me. We got into the same schools, always. Then we met Addie. She was amazing, okay well she was kind of a dork when we first met but she changed into the kind of girl that everyone wanted but no one ever got. Over time, Derek & I became friends with her. Truthfully, we both wanted more, but Derek got in there first. I wasn't that jealous, I mean I was but Derek was my friend. I was even 'okay' when they got married. But I was too far in love with her by that point to ever go back. And when Derek started becoming distant & I saw how upset she was I made my move. It was a mistake, I knew that, but she was lonely & I wanted her. It was the only fucking day that Derek came home early," he took a deep breath.

George watched him closely, wondering if he'd finished or if there was more.

"I knew he'd be upset, but to just leave? I could tell we'd never get back to how we were & that was all my fault," he swallowed hard. "But I love Addison & I'm not going to give up without one hell of a fight."

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A/N: Okay, not a long chapter as I said just a filler really. Next chapter: a mistake & some Addex!! Yay :D please review will update next week some time!! xBeth 


	8. Love Will Come Through

**A/N: Hey, so I know I haven't updated in ages but I've not had a lot of spare time. Should have next chapters of all my stories up sometime this week, if all goes to plan, although I am pretty busy so don't take my word for it. Thanks to all my reviewers you made my day(s):)**

**Just a quick rant, you don't have to read this. I was thinking the other day about how in the season finale nothing was said about Addison leaving to move to L.A, so is she going to be in the next season a bit or will they just be like 'oh, yeah, she left'? It's bugging me cuz if they do that it'll be seriously stupid! Soooo, Isaiah Washington is definitely not coming back!! I never really took to Burke, I mean I didn't dislike him, just didn't like him a lot either! And George is staying I think, yay, as long as they don't carry on the stupid Gizzie story, cuz I hate that!! Just one other thing, if you haven't already, go on youtube & watch Kate Walsh on David Spade cuz it's seriously funny, I cried of laughter it is hilarious! 52!!!! (watch it you'll understand) **

**Okay, on with the story! Disclaimer: Still don't own it.**

**P.S: Seeing as I haven't written in a while, here's a quick recap: Alex realised he was falling for Addison, he comforts her & then goes looking for her but she pushes him away. Meredith & Derek talk & she understands why he had to give his marriage another shot. Mark & George meet in the bar & Mark shares his feelings for Addison & how he wasnts to get her back.**

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Addison's eyes opened slowly, the brights light making her head ache. She remembered Joe's bar, she remembered an awful lot of shots, & she remembered Mark.

Groaning, she rolled over, hitting Mark's chest waking him up. He sighed & said, "I'm awake, I'm awake," & opening his eyes, smiling when he saw her. "Hey, Addie."

"What the hell happened Mark?" she groaned again as her head began to throb painfully.

"Such a shame you don't remember, I mean, it was the beginning of us again," he grinned.

"What?" she shriekd, sitting up quickly but immediately regretted it. "Ow," she rubbed her head which now felt like it was about to explode. "Mark, there is no us. There was never an us. We're over, finished, that's it. This," she pointed at the bed & their bodies which lay next to each other, although she had moved to the very edge of the bed, "was a drunken mistake. I was drunk & you took advantage. You know, I was ready to be your friend, but now..." she drifted off.

"Addison, I'm sorry," he attempted.

"Forget it, Mark," she snapped, wrapping the sheet around her as she stood up & grabbed her clothes. "Bathroom?"

"There," he pointed towards a door.

"Thanks."

She made her way over, walked in & shut & locked the door. She threw her clothes onto the side & turned the shower on. She waited for the water to warm & stepped in, losing the sheet. As soon as the water hit her back she relaxed, letting it roll down her body relaxing her, slowly taking her head pain away. She knew she was messed up & sleeping with Mark certainly wasn't going to make anything easier. She couldn't believe he'd taken advantage of her while she was drunk. She leaned her back against the cold wall & slowly slid down, the water still pounding on her back. She really did know how to make things worse.

GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA

Stepping out of the bathroom, Addison felt relieved. She'd washed all she could of Mark off her & now she was ready for a new day. She just wished she could get out of his apartment. Looking around she saw a folded piece of paper with her name written quickly on the front. She picked it up & read: _'I didn't want to bother you, I'm waiting in the car downstairs. Come find me when you're ready, Mark x'_ She nodded, ignoring the kiss he'd left at the end, & grabbed her bag. Once she was in the elevator she sighed, leaning against the back wall, hating that the only way she could get to the hospital was with him, & hating how messed up this all was. Leaving the elevator & the front entrance, she saw Mark's car immediately & walked over & opened the door.

"Before I get in, three things. One; you don't get to hit on me, not even a little bit. Two; don't even mention last night unless you want a black eye. And three; drop me off around the corner from the hospital so we don't have to arrive together. Got that?"

"Yeah, get it," Mark started the car.

"Okay," she said, sitting down in the seat next to him. "Let's go."

The drive was silent, although Mark wanted to say so many things. He did as she'd asked & dropped her off around the corner, then carried on to the hospital. When he walked it, he made his way to the nurse's station where he met George.

"Hey, O'Malley, you good?"

George turned to look at Mark, surprised her still remembered his name. "Yeah, I'm okay," he said uncertainly.

"Good, I'm requesting you as my intern today, that okay?"

George nodded, "sounds good."

"Where's Karev?" Both men turned around to see Addison. Mark shrugged & George said, "Dunno."

"Oh, okay, well if you see him could you please tell him I'm looking for him," she said & walked away.

"Sure,"George called after her but Mark stayed uncharacteristically silent.

George looked at him curiously, wondering what had happened to make him keep quiet. He thought back to what Mark had said at Joe's the previous night. Maybe something had happened with Addison, but wasn't she still married? Or was the marriage over now? He really didn't know. But Mark seemed pretty messed up about it, & he knew he needed the truth to be able to help at all, & a day on Mark's service would be the perfect time to do some digging.

GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA

Frantically, Addison searched the hospital for Alex. She wasn't even sure he'd want to help her after she'd left him in the car park before, but it was either him or Derek, & she couldn't really talk to Derek about sleeping with Mark when they were still married.

If you call it married. They rarely spoke & hadn't stayed in the trailer together for over two weeks. She'd see him with Meredith, knowing they were more-than-likely back together again, but what did she know if she never got the chance to ask him.

Hovering outside the interns' locker room, she hesitated before pushing open the door. Luckily, there was only Karev, Grey, Yang & Stevens, all of whom were fully dressed.

They all turned to look at her when she entered, & she attempted a smile.

"Dr. Montgomery-Shepherd, hi," Izzie said as she walked around her to the door.

"Hi," Cristina muttered & followed Izzie.

Meredith kept her head down, still unsure of what Addison might say. "Hello, Dr. Grey," Addison said, much to the young intern's surprise as she walked past her as quickly as she could.

Addison turned back to Alex who was doing anything he could to avoid looking directly at her. "Karev?"

He raised his head slowly, still wary to meet her eye, but eventually he did.

"Alex, I-" she bit her lip uncertainly. "I need to talk to you."

"Why? The last time I tried to help you, you just threw it back in my face & drove away?" He snapped, hoping he didn't hurt her too much but he didn't want her to think she could get around him too easily.

"I'm sorry, I really am. But please talk to me, you're the only one that actually listens. I need you, Alex," she desperately fought back the tears.

Alex didn't answer. He knew she was lonely but if he was really the only one who she could turn to he couldn't be mad at her for any longer. He watched her, sensing something was really up.

"Hey, it's okay," he reached out & pulled her into his arms, wrapping them around her protectively. "What happened?" he whispered.

"I-" she began as she lost her fight against the tears. Her sobs shocked Alex & he held her tighter, not caring how wet his scrubs would be.

"Dr. Mont-" he started.

"You're kidding, right?" she let out a small laugh. "It's Addison."

"Okay," he paused. "Addison, what happened, I swear it'll be okay."

She looked down at the floor. "I slept with Mark, last night."

Alex reached forwards & tilted her head up so they were looking at each other.

"And," she swallowed., "I'm still married to Derek who, I'm pretty sure, is sleeping with Grey again, My life is just screwed up!"

"From what Meredith has said they're just friends. And I don't think she'd do anything while he was still married to you," he reassured her.

"Okay. Well great, then it's just me who's an adulterous whore! Again!" she hastily wiped her face & tried to get rid of the tears.She stepped backwards, trying to step out of Alex's arms, but he was too strong.

"Addie, you're not going until you're really better. Which right now you're not."

"Okay," she said, defeated, & slumped down on the bench, Alex close behind. "How can all of this of happened in, what, three days?"

"Well you have one thing to be thankful for," he smiled.

"Yeah, what's that?"

"Me!" Addison laughed. "Oh, so am I not that great?" he smiled at her thinking how beautiful she looked when she laughed.

"No, you're amazing," she smiled back. "I don't know what I'd have done without you."

"That's what I'm for," he kissed her forehead. "What happened with Sloan?"

She rolled her eyes. "Mark & I are not going to getting back together. I was drunk, & he took advantage. I would have done anything."

"Really? Maybe I should try that sometime," Alex laughed at her attempt to look evil. "Wow, if you're the 'Ruler of all Evil' we have nothing to worry about!"

"Oh, funny!" she laughed, hitting his arm.

"Ouch," he faked pain.

"Yeah, like that hurt. Wimp," she laughed again.

"Shut up," he said.

"Make me."

He thought for a moment before placing his hands on either side of her face & kissing her. She didn't react straight away but soon she was kissing back. She linked her arms around his neck, pulling him in closer. After a few moments, he reluctantly pulled away to breathe, his hands still gently stroking her cheeks.

"Sorry, that wasn't what you needed," Alex said, dropping his hands.

Addison, however, kept her arms around his neck & pulled in to kiss him again. She didn't care if it was wrong & would mess things up more because it felt so right to her.

They pulled away as Alex's pager beeped. She moaned as he grabbed it & cursed when he read it.

"Sorry, it's Bailey, I'm going to be slaughtered for missing rounds," he stood up & Addison followed.

"Sorry for making you late," she said, he arm still lingering near his.

"It was my decision, & trust me it was worth it," he smiled, leaning in & kissing her cheek.

"Yeah," she agreed. "You know how much you _'hate' _the gynie squad?" she joked & Alex nodded sarcastically. "Well, maybe I could punish you by requesting you as my intern?" she raised her eyebrows. "Better than the pit."

Alex smiled. "Gynie sounds perfect."

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**A/N: Okay, so that was the next chapter. I apologize if there was any stupid mistakes in that but I wrote it at, like, two in the morning when I couldn't sleep & just finished it now. Anyway, as I said, should have the next chapters of **_**'Intuition', 'If I Fall' **_**& **_**'The Perfect Goodbye'**_** up this week but don't say I promised anything cuz I'm not 100percent sure. **

**Anyway, because you love me, please review! THANK YOU FOR READING!!! **

**Beth**


	9. Take Me Away

**A/N: Hey, thanks for the reviews. They really make me smile!! I'm just about surviving without new Grey's, but I am watching the third season over & over again. **

**So, just out of interest, does anyone have an idea for an Addek fic that I could possibly write. Cuz I'm really addicted to them at the moment (I know, living in the past, right!?) & I would love to write something but I have no ideas. Anybody? Thanks :)**

**So here goes, another chapter. I'm almost done writing this on paper now, another chapter & a half, so yay!! Disclaimer: Still not mine**

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"Karev, nice of you to join us," Bailey's voice rung out around the hall.

"Sorry, I was busy," Alex muttered standing next to George.

"Well, you can cover the pit today, see it as punishment for being busy."

"Dr. Bailey? I could use an intern today, so I'll take Karev," Addison came up behind Bailey, startling her slightly.

"No, Karev can stay in the pit, you can have Yang," Bailey ordered.

Both Cristina & Alex groaned. Addison took a deep breath before challenging Bailey again. "I could really use someone who has an idea of what they're doing. No offence, Dr. Yang, but Karev has worked with me a lot before & he works well in my field," Addison paused.

Bailey rolled her eyes. "Fine, Karev you're with Montgomery-Shepherd. Yang find Shepherd, Grey you're with Burke. Stevens you cover the pit & O'Malley you've been requested by Dr. Sloan. Get going."

Alex moved over to Addison, who smiled genuinely to him. Suddenly, though, her smile was wiped away & she grabbed Bailey's arm. "Wait, Miranda, did you say Sloan?"

"Yes, get off me, Dr. Sloan has came to us from New York to help on a case & the chief may offer him a contract when he's done. You got a problem with that?" she snapped. When Addison didn't answer she walked in the opposite direction, muttering to herself.

Addison stared forwards, taking in what she'd heard. She couldn't work with Mark here, he messed her up. She knew if Richard offered him a contract he'd take it to matter what, even if it was just to be around her. She hoped Derek now understood that she had nothing to do with Mark's appearance here in Seattle, but she was sure he'd still find a way of blaming her. She jumped out of her thoughts when she felt a hand on the shoulder & spun round to face Alex.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned. He watched her eyes look anywhere but at him & wondered if she would answer him. "What's wrong?"

"Mark," Addison snapped back to reality. "He requested O'Malley. He's helping on a case & might be offered a contract here."

"But he might now," Alex tried to be optimistic.

"But it's Mark. When he wants something he usually gets it. And he never backs down. I can't work with him here, he messes me up & I actually kinda like it here," she sighed. "I'm going to find Derek, see how much he knows. That's if he'll even talk to me. You coming?"

Alex nodded & followed her in the direction Cristina had walked earlier. The walked in silence for a few minutes, not really sure where Derek would be. Turning a corner next to the intern's locker room where they were earlier, they saw Derek leaning against a wall talking to Cristina. As soon as he saw Addison he stood up straight & took a deep breath, knowing he couldn't get away in time.

"Addison," he said with an annoyed tone in his voice.

"Derek, I know you hate me, but listen. Mark's here, I mean working here," she watched him.

"Yeah, I know," he said.

"What? How do you know?"

"Mark & I are talking again now. Didn't see the point in hating him any more. I mean we've been friends almost all our lives."

Alex cut in before Addison could reply. "Dude, he slept with your wife. Surely that's a good enough reason to hate him. You forgive him but not her? How does that work? She was the lonely one that you were ignoring & you didn't even care enough to notice."

"Since when do you have the right to tell me who I should & should not hate, Karev?" Derek said loudly. Alex & Cristina flinched at his tone but Addison didn't react & Alex wondered if she was used to him yelling at her.

"Don't shout at him, Derek, he's done nothing wrong! Just because he cares, he's the only freaking person who does!" Addison yelled back.

"So, your only friend is an intern? That's funny, actually," Derek said spitefully.

"Your only friend is Mark Sloan, I think I get the better deal there," Addison replied calmly, refusing to let this end in an argument in the middle of the hospital. "Since when were you & Mark friends again?"

"The day he arrived he came & found me. We had a huge fight & got everything out, but then we ended up talking. It was nice having him again," Derek leant back against the wall. "We talk about stuff. Like how you slept with him last night."

Addison flinched then, cursing herself for letting Mark take advantage of her. "And you believe him?" she attempted.

"He's my best friend, Addison, he wouldn't lie to me, unlike my wife," he sneered.

Alex took a step forwards ready to hit him before Addison stopped him. "Don't, Alex, it's not worth it."

"Can't your boyfriend keep his anger under control?" Derek laughed & grabbed a chart. "Let's go," he said & Cristina followed him, but not before she looked at Alex curiously.

"Derek?" Addison called after him with no reaction. She knew better than to waste her breath calling him. She walked to the wall where Derek had just been, slamming her back against the wall & sliding down to the floor. She tucked her knees into her chest & buried her head in her hands.

Alex watched her, thinking how messed up her life had become in the last couple of days. Mark had slept with his best friend's wife & now Derek had forgiven him as though he'd done nothing at all. He didn't get why Derek was so mad at Addison, what had she done? Had she even done anything or was he just being a jerk? Alex walked over & sat down beside her, putting his arm around her shoulder & running his fingers through her hair as she moved her head out of her hands & into his neck. Soon his scrub top was soaked with her tears again.

"You might need clean scrubs," she whispered.

"Oh well, we're not moving until you're okay anyway," he glanced around the hall. "Well, we could move into that on-call room. Bit more privacy," he suggested.

"Okay," Addison said quietly, getting up & walking over to it, Alex close behind. She opened the door, walked in & collapsed on the bed while Alex closed & locked the door, then sat down on the end of the bed. Addison sat up & looked at him.

"You okay?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Not really."

He moved next to her, putting his arm around her waist & letting her fall back on him. He kissed her neck gently & pulled her round to face him. "Thanks for being here Alex."

He smiled & kissed her forehead. "That's okay."

"Why is Derek doing this to me? If he wants a divorce why can't he just ask for one?" Addison swallowed hard, fighting more tears.

"Maybe he wants you to admit it first. Like he's making it hell for you so that you ask him for the divorce & look like the bad guy," he shrugged.

"Yeah, probably."

They sat in silence for a while, Alex's arm around her protectively & her head resting on his chest. They were both thankful that it was a quiet day so they could just sit together.

Maybe I should just do it," Addison broke the silence. "Maybe I should just sign the divorce papers & give them to Derek. That way it's done. All this hell is over & it's done. No more sneaking around, no more lies. No more Derek pining over Meredith freaking Grey when he doesn't think I notice."

Alex nodded. "Whatever you decide, I'm here for you. He's hurt you so much Addie, just remember that. Just one thing, please don't go back to Mark. 'Cause you can do so much better that him & he doesn't deserve you."

"I won't, Alex, don't worry, I'm not that stupid. Don't ever think that I might," she sighed heavily. "If I sign, will you promise to be here fore me? Whenever I need you?"

"I promise, I'm never leaving your side."

Addison smiled & whispered, "that's all I've ever wanted to hear."

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Meredith was surprised at how well she'd lasted the last few weeks. Wherever she turned, there was Derek, or Addison, or both of them. She missed Derek. They hadn't had a proper conversation since Addison arrived, but she knew she hadn't tried as much as she could have.

After a quiet morning with Burke, Meredith made her way to the cafeteria to meet the other interns. She spotted Cristina & Izzie sitting at a table near the centre of the room & made her way towards them.

"Hey guys," she said, grabbed & chair & sitting.

"Hey Mer."

"Hi."

"Good morning?" she asked, taking a bite of her sandwich & looking expectantly.

"Just the pit," Izzie said unenthusiastically.

Meredith smiled & looked at Cristina.

"Yeah, it was okay. Weird, though," she shrugged. "Where's Alex & George?"

"Dunno, who were they with?" Meredith asked.

"Alex was with the She-Shepherd," Izzie said. "And George was requested by Sloan. Who is Sloan, by the way?"

"Mark Sloan?" Cristina asked, her mouth full.

"Seriously, thanks," Izzie wiped her sleeve & moved away from Cristina slightly. "Yes, Mark Sloan. Why, who's he?"

"No idea, but he's got something to do with the Shepherds. They were arguing about him earlier. Apparently Addison slept with him which was why Derek moved here. They were friends in New York, I guess. But Derek's friends with him again now, & I think Addison slept with him again last night. But that could be something Mark made up & told Derek. But that's just what I got from the argument, it was confusing really."

"Seriously? That's kinda huge," Izzie said, intrigued.

"Yeah, so are Addison & Derek over now, or what?" Meredith asked.

"No idea," Cristina yawned.

"Cristina, you can't just give us half the freaking story!" Izzie moaned.

"Sorry. Ask George, he's here now," she pointed. "Hey Bambi."

George sat down between Izzie & Cristina & looked at the girls curiously, wondering what they wanted from him.

"What?"

"Who's Mark Sloan?" Izzie asked.

"Ummm, he's a plastic surgeon, like a really great one. He was friends with the Shepherds in New York, then he slept with Addison, lost his best friend when Derek moved her. Then Addison moved here, he followed her here to try & win her back. He's friends with Derek now but he still wants her," he said.

"Alright, so what no?" Meredith asked, wanting to know if she had a chance of getting Derek back.

"Where's Alex?" George ignored her.

"Dunno. He was working with Addison," Cristina answered.

"What's happening with the Shepherds now, George?" Meredith asked again.

"No idea. But if you ask me, he deserves better. I mean, she cheats on him with his best friend, then he takes her back, then she cheats again."

"Who does that?" Izzie asked, shocking everyone. "I mean, it's just selfish, she's-"

"Hey, shhh, Alex & her," Cristina hissed.

They knew the awkward silence would look suspicious but no one knew what to say. Alex walked up to the table while Addison held back slightly.

"Hey, Alex," George smiled nervously.

"Hey, um," Alex hesitated. "Would you guys mind if Addison joined us?"

"No, it's fine," Izzie said, grabbing a chair from the next table & motioning Addison over. She sat down nervously & looked around the table awkwardly. She jumped as a pager beeped.

"Sorry," Cristina mumbled.

"You okay?" Izzie smiled at Cristina's annoyed face.

"Yeah, gotta go. In future, I'm working with Burke. At least I get a freaking lunch break with him, not like Shepherd," Cristina stood up. "Mer, you have Shepherd from now on."

"But Burke gives time for lunch," Meredith moaned as Cristina walked away.

"Mer you're meant to protest when she's still here," Alex laughed. "And Shepherd has good surgeries anyways."

"Yeah, but it's the whole lunch break thing! And shut up," she whined. "She probably just wants to be with Burke."

"Probably," George said, yawning, & glanced at his watch. "Anyone know what time Sloan's surgery is this afternoon?"

The remaining interns shook their heads. "He'll page you," Addison said, earning a glance from them.

"I would. Or I'd find him myself," the table turned their attention to Mark, who now stood behind George with Derek next to him. "Hey, O'Malley," he said before sitting down in the seat Cristina had sat in earlier.

"Didn't you just page Cristina?" Izzie asked Derek, confused.

"Nope," Derek shook his head.

"Oh, okay."

Derek grabbed at chair & sat down next to Mark. "Why's she here?" he asked, pointing at Addison.

"You know what, I'll just go," Addison stood up.

"Are you okay?" Alex grabbed her wrist.

"No," she shook her head. "Why would I be?"

"Oh come on, Addison. How can you say you're not okay after everything. You've got what you wanted," he pointed at Mark.

"Shut up," Alex snapped.

"Here," Addison threw the divorce papers down on the table in front of Derek. "It's what you wanted, wasn't it? You just didn't have the guts to ask me yourself, you wanted me to be so pissed off that I backed down & signed first."

Derek grabbed a pen, scan read the papers, signed them & threw them back to Addison. "You can go now," Derek hissed.

"Whatever Derek, just leave me the hell alone," she said, grabbing the papers & walking away with Alex close behind.

"What's going on with them?" Mark asked curiously.

"God know, it's Addison," Derek rolled his eyes. He checked his watch quickly before speaking, "gotta go now anyway," he stood up & walked around behind Meredith. "Mer you busy tonight?"

"No, why?"

"I'll find you when I'm done for the day, we can go somewhere," he smiled at her, earning a smile back.

"Okay," she winked & leaned up to kiss his cheek gently. She watched him walk away with Mark following.

"So the Shepherds are split," Izzie said, not hiding the surprise in her voice.

"Yep," Meredith smiled. "Great, isn't it!?"

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**God I hate Meredith. Evil person. Anyways, I didn't like that chapter very much. On paper it seemed okay, now not so much. But then when I wrote it I liked MerDer & loved Addex. Now I love Addek so writing that was hard! Anyways, I'm not really a fan on this story any more, but I'll finish it anyways. Please review, rewards are available -smile- just ask! **

**Beth**


	10. Calm Before The Storm

**Just a quick note. Thanks for the reviews, they were great as always! I've only got one more chapter of this to write on paper then it's done (yay), as with **_**Intuition**_**. Then I can start the new fics I have planned, there's a couple. So look out for them. :) And I apologize in advance for the crappy MerDer bit in this, I had to write it in but it's short because I'm not a fan of that couple. Sorry. Oh, one more thing (sorry there's loads) but I'm sorry for what an ass Derek is in this fic. I keep writing him evil. Not my fault, stupid brain!!**

**Disclaimer: Still not owning Grey's. **

**Enjoy, and review :)**

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Derek stood at the front entrance at 7, leaning against the doorframe, playing on his cell phone. He glanced into the hospital, sure Meredith would meet him soon. It had been a long, confusing day for him. The reality of his divorce had not yet set in, and he was curious about Karev and Addison's relationship. He knew he couldn't judge Alex, even though he disliked Addison a lot he knew she was hot, and he couldn't use the intern-attending argument knowing how he felt about Meredith.

He tore away from his thoughts hearing footsteps approaching. He looked up to see Meredith smiling.

"Hey," she greeted him.

"Hi, you ready to go?" he asked, pushing himself off the wall.

"Yep."

Derek nodded and pushed the door open, holding it for her to leave first. She laughed at his gesture, but walked out first into the cool Seattle night.

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Derek wasn't exactly the best date planner, usually failing in his attempts to be romantic. Because of this, he decided to take Meredith to a restaurant in town he knew she loved, followed by a walk along by the water. When they arrived at the restaurant, they were shown to their table which was by the window, looking over the water. They took a moment to study the menu before ordering. They began with small talk about the hospital and other un-important stuff, before moving onto Addison and the divorce.

"Are you happy you signed?" Meredith asked, not entirely sure if she should.

Derek shrugged. "In a way, yes. Our marriage wasn't strong enough to survive much longer, especially with Mark here now, and the last few weeks have been a mess. We hardly speak and when we do we end up arguing. I'm not saying I don't love her, because I do and probably always will. But I'm not in love with her."

Meredith nodded. "Is Mark staying in Seattle?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he is. Richard asked him to stick around for a case and offered him a contract to stay on after that. The hospital will really appreciate him, he's a great plastic surgeon. Sure, he can be an ass, and it'll take a while for us to be back to how we were before, but I really hope we can work it out," Derek paused to eat.

"Don't you think you're being a bit harsh to Addison? After everything that's happened you keep the one person she really doesn't need around? And it's not all her fault, you know," Meredith said, hoping he wouldn't take it the wrong way.

Derek shrugged again. "Maybe. Call me cruel, but she deserves it. She didn't have to sleep with him, did she? I'm not believing that she had no idea he was coming to Seattle either. And besides, she has Karev now, doesn't she?" he said spitefully.

"Don't blame Alex, Derek, he's done nothing wrong. If it wasn't for him she'd be lost right now. And I'm sure if she says she didn't know Mark was coming, she really didn't. You can't blame her the whole time, Derek. She's only human, she makes mistakes too," Meredith reasoned.

"Right," Derek nodded slightly sarcastically, and went back to eating.

Meredith sighed. Even if everyone thought she hated Addison, she couldn't help but think she deserved a chance to explain.

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Addison was ready to leave, ready to sleep and ready to forget the awful day she's had. Mark had ruined her marriage again, and this time for good. If she was being truthful she'd lost a lot of hope a long time ago that her marriage would ever get back to how it was in New York, but the tiny bit of hope she'd held on to was gone now. The hope that Derek still loved her and actually wanted to make it work. She hated that it all came down to a guy, her whole life revolved around a man. Derek, or Mark. And now even Alex. Alex. Karev. He was the only one there for her now, nobody else seemed to care that she was falling apart. He'd looked over everything that had gone wrong. She needed him more than she'd even care to admit.

After checking she had no more cases for the day, Addison made her way to the elevator and pressed the button, hoping it wouldn't take too long. A few seconds later the doors opened, a couple of nurses walked out, and Addison stepped in pressing the button for the ground floor so she could leave. She sighed, leaning against the back wall as she waited for the doors to close. However, before they could, Alex ran in and pushed to door open so he could get in. He smiled.

"Sorry," he muttered.

Addison rolled her eyes. "It's okay."

Alex watched her. "What's wrong?"

She stared forwards watching the doors close before them. She shrugged. "Nothing."

He didn't take his eyes off her, completely unconvinced. "Addison..."

"It's fine. I'm fine," she said before he could give her any sympathy.

"You're so not fine," he looked away.

"I'm fine, seriously, I'm-" the elevator shook suddenly and the lights flicked off. A few moments later the back-up lights flicked on. "Oh, great, you have got to be kidding!" she sighed and walked to the buttons, pressing the call button but nothing happened.

They stood in silence for a few moments before Alex spoke. "We're trapped."

"You think?" Addison snapped.

Alex sighed. "What's wrong? And don't give me any crap about a surgery 'cause I know it's more than that."

She chewed her lip nervously, unsure of how much she could tell Alex.

"Addison?" he said gently, and she looked up at him. "I know you don't think I'm the kind of person you can trust, but you can. I promise you."

She nodded. "I know you have, and I'm so grateful, Alex, I just don't want to get involved with another guy. I'm sorry," she whispered, leaving against the back wall and sliding down to the floor, tucking her knees into her chest.

Alex stood watching her for a moment, wondering if there was anything he could say to make her feel better.

"You know, I thought Derek and I finally had a shot at being a couple again, but I guess I really deserve more of this hell before I get to be happy. I'm destined to be alone," she leant her forehead against he knees so he wouldn't see her tears.

"You're not going to be alone. And you don't deserve any more hell," Alex said, sitting down next to her, staring forwards. He didn't know what it was, but he felt some sort of connection to her and he needed to make her see she really would be okay.

"And now I'm stuck in a freaking elevator for god-knows how long!" she moaned.

Alex moved closer to her and leant into her ear, "but you're with me," he said gently.

Addison tried to ignore the tingle in her stomach as he lingered by her face. She couldn't do this. She couldn't let her happiness come down to another man.

"Shepherd and Sloan are jerks. You deserve so much better than them. You're free, sorry to put it that way but you're free from Derek now. Free from him hurting you. And Mark, well Mark really is destined to be alone," Alex said, not moving his face any further away from her's.

Addison looked up and turned to him, their faces only a few inches apart. She sighed, subconsciously staring at his lips and deep into his eyes. She didn't know whether to kiss him or turn away before things got too awkward.

After a couple of minutes, Alex broke the silence, pulling back slightly. "Sorry," he mumbled, but still didn't take his eyes off her.

"Alex, I-"

He leaned closer again, unwilling to wait any longer. Her lips came forwards and met him, slightly surprising him as he thought she move away. This kiss started slow but got deeper as she leant into him, getting lost in his kiss. His tongue teased her bottom lip before she finally allowed him entry. She sighed against his mouth, not wanting to be anywhere else in that moment. He pulled back, giving them both time to breath, before he started kissing her neck.

In her mind, she knew she shouldn't carry on but she was too lost in his touch to push him away. "Alex," she whispered.

He met her lips again telling her she would be okay, that is was okay, that he wouldn't give up on her.

Suddenly, the elevator jerked back into life and the lights flicked back on. They didn't move for a few seconds, neither wanting to move away from each other's arms. Finally, Addison realized how close they were and how it would look to whoever was waiting for the elevator, so she stood up, flattering her clothes before turning back to Alex.

"Get up," she said.

"Why?"

"Because you look like an idiot sitting there."

"I'd look better if you were next to me."

"Alex..." she warned.

"You didn't seem too bothered sitting down here with me just then. Why does it change now?"

"'Cause people might see," she said.

"And?"

"I was married."

"Yeah, you _were_ married. Not any more. You're moving on, people can't blame you for that."

"We only signed this morning," she whispered. "Get up."

"Fine," he said, pushing himself up and walking up next to her. He grabbed her hand and turned to her. "Don't let him rule your life. You need to move on," he smiled when she faced him, and he leaned in to kiss her lips gently.

Just then, the doors slid open without time for them to pull apart.

"Well isn't this cozy!"

Addison groaned. "Mark."

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**Cruel, I know. And I hate Derek. I'll update soon. I'm sorry for any stupid mistakes in there. I didn't have time to check it.**

**Beth**


	11. Hold On

**A/N: Thank you to anyone who reviewed! I love you very much:). This is the last proper chapter, then there's an epilogue, and then we're done! **

**Disclaimer: Even after all this time I haven't managed to own anything. I'm own-less. :P**

**Reviews are love!**

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Mark Sloan wasn't having a good day. He'd had a patient who needed an amazing surgery but was too nervous to go ahead with it, which left Mark with nothing but files to sort. On top of that, Bailey had yelled at him for messing Addison up and causing her not to concentrate properly. Like it was his fault, all he wanted was her back where she belonged with him in New York. There was the added bonus that she and Derek were now divorcing, so it seemed he had a good chance of getting her back, and that Derek was now speaking to him. But, as with every plan, there was a down side. And that down side was standing right in front of him in the form of an intern.

The three of them stood in silence, each desperately thinking of something to say. The doors began to close and both Addison and Alex hoped Mark would let them close fully, but they weren't in luck. His foot shot out to allow him room to get in, smiling sarcastically at Addison but completely ignoring Alex, who quickly walked out of the elevator. Addison began following him but Mark grabbed her hand to stop her. Sighing, she nodded to Alex telling him it was okay to go, before resuming her place next to Mark.

The doors closed and they stood staring at the lights without saying a word. Mark knew this could be him only chance to say what he felt so he slammed the emergency stop button and stood between it and Addison.

"What's going on, Addison?"

She shrugged, "it's nothing."

"Didn't look like nothing to me."

Addison shook her head, "no."

Mark sighed, knowing he couldn't yell at her. He'd come to Seattle to get her back. He'd waited long enough and there was nothing or nobody he'd let stand in his way. "Seriously, Addison. What's going on with you and Karev?"

She looked up and made eye contact with him. She could see the hurt look in his eyes showing he thought he'd lost his chance now. "I really don't know," she whispered.

He took a deep breath, breaking eye contact and studying the floor carefully. "Are we really done? Because I need to know, if there's even the smallest of chances that this could work I need you to tell me. I love you, Addison, you know that and you know that I'd never hurt you. Not again. And I don't want you to hurt me either so don't tell me we're not over if you don't mean it. Don't try to make me feel better," he looked back up at her. Part of him hoped she'd tell him they weren't over but something inside of him knew that wasn't true.

She listened carefully to him, wishing she didn't have to make up her mind now and possibly lose one of her oldest and best friends. This was Mark. He'd been there for her through all the pain that Derek had caused, never letting her feel alone. He'd been her friends for years, hell they'd even dated for two months and lived together, and she knew she couldn't lose him. However, she knew he could never be the guy she needed. Never offer her the support that, at the start of their marriage, Derek had. Right now, her head was a mess and all she wanted to do was sleep. She knew the confusion wouldn't go away overnight but it would at least be a break.

"Mark, I really can't do this now. I need to sleep. I need to sort my head out," she bit her lip.

Mark nodded, hit the button and the elevator jerked back into life. He turned away from her, not wanting to see her so lost and upset. When the doors opened he stepped out, getting away as quickly as he could. He didn't stop until he got to Joe's, taking a seat at the bar and ordering a beer. He understood why Addison was so confused, he just needed an answer. He needed to know where he stood. He didn't want to believe she was rejecting him for an intern, but that certainly seemed like the case. He nodded to Joe as he picked up his beer, swallowing hard. He looked across the bar to see Izzie Stevens sitting alone. 'Fine,' he thought to himself, standing up and walking around to her. 'If Addison can have an intern, so can I.'

Back at the hospital, Addison had found an empty bench just outside the front door and sat with her head in her hands. Why couldn't she just make a decision? This time yesterday she was happy. Well at least happier than she was now. Sure, Derek hadn't been speaking to her, hardly even acknowledging her presence. But at least she knew how to live her life. Today had been a today mess. Taking a deep breath she heaved herself up and began the short walk from the hospital to her hotel. She rushed to the elevator, then on to her room, slamming the door behind her and collapsing on the bed. Finally she could relax away from the madness.

It didn't take her long to fall asleep, but it didn't take her long to wake up either. Especially when there was a constant loud knocking at her door which wouldn't stop. She sighed and stood up, realizing she slept in her now-screwed up clothes. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was 11:30, surely too late for anyone to need her, but the knocking didn't stop. She stumbled to the door, opening it just a little to see who it was. To her surprise (and slight pleasure) she saw Alex, and opened the door further.

"Alex, what's wrong?" she said, tiredness evident in her voice.

"I needed to check you were alright. Can I come in?" he took in her tired eyes and messy clothes, smiling at how normal she looked.

She nodded. "Sure," and moved aside. He kissed her cheek gently before moving past her to take a seat on her couch. She closed the door quickly and took the seat next to him.

"What did Sloan say?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Just asked what was going on with us. I told him that I didn't know, because I really don't. Then he said he needed to know where I was with him, whether we were done or not. But I don't know that either."

Alex put his hand over her's reassuringly, knowing she needed an explanation right now. "I don't want to rush you into anything so soon after your marriage. I know the divorce isn't finalised yet but I want you to know I'm here. I just want to be here when you need me. Maybe you don't trust me, maybe you expect me to go back to being a jerk with you, but I promise you I won't. I'm here now, okay, Addie. I'm in this for the long run," he watched her face, her eyes desperately searching for a sigh he was lying. She was so used to being lied to, used to men telling her they'd be always be around and then hurting her. Why should he be any different? She hated that she couldn't seem to tear herself away from men and live independently for once. He smiled, leaning in to kiss her forehead gently.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He smiled and kissed her forehead again, before sitting up straight. "I'm going home now, I'll see you tomorrow, night Addie," he stood up slowly.

She watched him, shocked slightly, and stood up next to him. She put her hands on either side of his face and shook her head. "Could you stay with me tonight?"

Alex nodded. "Sure," and took one of her hands in his. "I'll crash on the couch okay?"

"Well, could you just.." she hesitated. "Just hold me for tonight? Please?"

He smiled. "Of course."

They walked together to Addison's bedroom and she grabbed an old t-shirt and shorts for herself to sleep in. She bit her lip before turning to Alex. "I think I have one of Derek's old shirts somewhere, if you want to change."

Alex nodded and watched her search for a few minutes before she found what she was looking for. "There," she handed him a shirt which he took. "I'll just go change, see you in a bit," she smiled and walked to the bathroom, catching his eye and grinning before shutting the door.

Alex sighed, pulling his shirt over his head and replacing it with Derek's shirt. He threw his top over a chair and followed it a few seconds later with his pants. He walked to the bed and sat down, watching the bathroom door closely waiting for Addison to join him. For some reason, he felt such a strong connection when he was with her, something he couldn't quite explain. He had an uncontrollable need to make her feel safe and to protect her from Derek and Mark. He knew she been messed up and hurt so many times before and all he wanted was for that never to happen to her again.

He smiled and sat up when the bathroom door opened and Addison walked out. She was wearing an old college t-shirt, that Alex guessed she'd 'borrowed' from Derek back when they were married, and boxer shorts. She smiled back and made her way across the room and crawled into bed next to him. She didn't move too close to him, not sure if he'd be okay with it.

He sighed and moved closer to her, because it didn't look to him that she was going to, and put his arm around her, pulling her into him. She stiffened at first before melting against his touch. His hand rested on her stomach and she linked her fingers through his.

"Thank you for staying," she whispered.

"It's no problem," he replied, kissing her neck gently and squeezing her hand.

She smiled and turned slightly to face him. He put his spare hand on her cheek and pulled her closer to him. She leaned against him and met him lips gently. She smiled against his mouth as he slipped his tongue into her mouth, intertwining it with her's. Their tongues danced around each other for a few moments before she pulled away, gasping for air, but still smiling widely.

"What was that for?" she asked breathlessly.

"Just felt like kissing you," he smiled. "Hope that's okay."

"No problems here," she shrugged.

Alex laughed. "Night Addie."

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**A/N2: Am I making Alex too soppy? Cuz I just seem to write him soppy. Please review :)**


	12. Epilogue AKA Wanna Try

**A/N: Never thought I'd get here, but it's the last chapter! Kinda sad actually, I enjoyed writing this one! Anyways, thank you all for the reviews I've gotten throughout this story, they mean the world to me! Thanks to anyone who added me to their favorites list, means so much! Makes me feel like my writing's good enough:) So, enjoy the epilogue. Basically it's just little snippets of Addex in the future.**

**Disclaimer: You've had it drilled into your head a few times, and I'm sure you realize by now, but Grey's isn't mine.**

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_I wanna try with you,_

_I wanna smile with you,_

_I wanna be real with you_

_I wanna heal with you._

Two Months Later

"Ads, you ready?" Alex called into the bedroom.

"Yeah, just coming," she answered.

Addison's divorce had now been finalized, meaning she'd left Derek for good. Mark had decided to stay in Seattle and had been dating Izzie for two months. Everyone could see how good they were together: she was one of the only people that could handle him and he'd well and truly fallen for her. Derek hadn't taken long to get back with Meredith, which didn't surprise Addison in the least. Alex was there for her, and that was all she needed.

She smiled as she walked out, grabbed her car keys from the desk and began walking towards the front door. Before she reached it, however, he wrapped is arm around her waist and pulled her into him, kissing her lips passionately. She smiled against his mouth before pulling away.

"Alex we're gonna be late," she rested her forehead against his and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"And?" he smiled and kissed her again. This time she didn't pull away.

He traced his hands up and down her sides, causing her to squirm slightly. He smiled and walked her backwards gently to lean against the wall. He moved away from her mouth and left a trail of kisses down her neck. He began unbuttoning her blouse and moved his lips down to kiss along her shoulder.

Following his lead, she reached down and pulled his shirt over his head before working on his belt buckle. He moved back up to capture her lips before slipping her top off her shoulders. Before long, their clothes had been shed and she lay next to him wrapped in his arms.

"Mmmm, Alex," she sighed against his chest.

"I love you Addie," he kissed the top of her head softly.

"I love you too," she smiled. "We're definitely late now."

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Three months after that.

"I love you so much," Alex whispered into Addison's ear as they stood on a ferryboat looking over the water. His arms were wrapped around her waist and she rested her body back on his chest.

She closed her eyes and smiled. "I love you too."

It hadn't been the easiest few months for the couple. At first everyone at the hospital doubted whether or not the relationship could work. Most of them thought Addison was just getting back at Derek by dating the first person she could. They were doubtful that it could last seeing as Alex was Addison's intern. Richard made a point of warning her not to get to attached because he knew she couldn't take another disaster, and Miranda made sure she knew all about how Alex had acted whilst dating Izzie. But Addison knew him better than that. She was the lucky one who got to see how he was away from the other interns. She got to see the smile she kept only for her, the one that made her knees go weak. She saw how romantic he could be, even when they were just laying watching a movie. He would sit and watch the same movie with her ten times and still not moan, because he knew it made her happy and all he wanted was for her to be happy. But most of all, he gave her time. TIme to get over her eleven year marriage, and Mark. Time to heal. And he looked past all the pain she and Derek had caused each other and focused on how she was now. With him.

"Are you working this weekend?" he asked, kissing her neck softly.

"No, are you?" she replied.

He shook his head. "Wanna go somewhere?" he suggested.

"Such as?"

"Um, Paris?" he smiled as he felt her straighten up and turn to face him.

"Seriously!" she said, unsuccessfully hiding her excitement.

"Yeah, seriously!" he smiled and kissed her nose. "I'll take you anywhere you want to go."

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That weekend in Paris-Day One

"So where to first?" Alex asked as he and Addison walked hand in hand down a narrow road.

"Is it too early to shop?" she turned to face him and pouted slightly.

He laughed. "Yes! How about Disneyland?" he put his hand in his pocket and held up two tickets.

Addison grinned widely and threw her arms around him. "You are the best!"

"I know," he shrugged, kissing her nose as she pulled back from him. "Let's go."

Half an hour later they arrived outside the gates, ready to go in. The queue wasn't too long, and soon they were standing in the park holding a map.

"Where first?" Alex asked, looking at the map, confused.

"Anywhere," Addison grinned. "Follow me."

She set off walking at such a speed that Alex often had to jog to keep up with her. She weaved in and out of the crowds, often disappearing behind tall men, but Alex knew she couldn't disappear for long with her vibrant red hair that would pick her out of any crowd. Finally, she stopped, turned around and laughed when she saw Alex running to meet her.

"Did you have to walk so damn fast?" he asked, panting slightly.

She shrugged. "We only have a day, we don't want to miss anything now, do we?"

He began to protest when she flashed him a smile (one that he couldn't resist), so he just shrugged it off, following her now walking at a gentler pace.

She stopped in front of a large ride, and Alex read the sign aloud. "Space Mountain," and turned to face Addison with a questionning look on his face.

"It's awesome, trust me!" she smiled. "Come on," and he followed her to the end of the line.

By the end of the day, both Addison and Alex were tired out. They arrived back at the hotel and collapsed on the bed.

"So what did you think?" she asked.

"It was pretty great!" he laughed.

"I know," she laughed with him, kissing him quickly before turning the light off. "Night Alex."

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That weekend in Paris-Day Two

They arrived at the Eiffel Tower just after 11 the next morning. They'd planned to get there at 9, but 'other things' had gotten in the way.

**((A/N: I haven't been to Paris in four years, and the Eiffel Tower in about eight, so I'm kinda making this part up. Sorry if it's wrong, just go along with it. Pretend you're as dumb as me!!))**

Alex paid their admission fee (even though Addison said she'd pay her's, Alex insisted because the weekend was 'his treat to her') and they walked hand in hand into the elevator which would take them to the highest allowed point of the tower. They stood next to an elderly couple, who informed Addison and Alex that it was their Golden Wedding Anniversary and it was at the top of this tower over 50 years ago that he had proposed. Alex glanced at Addison who was smiling widely. She made eye contact with him which they held until he broke it with a kiss.

After a few moments, the doors opened at the first stop. Alex grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the cool air. They stood looking over the city for a while, before getting back into the elevator to got to the next level. Again, they stood talking to the elderly couple about their 50 years of marriage, with Alex constantly fidgeting nervously and glancing at Addison. She, however, was too engrossed in the conversation, to notice.

When they arrived at the next platform, Addison left the couple and put her hand in Alex's for them to walk into the air.

"The view's beautiful," she sighed.

"Yeah," Alex agreed, before turning to face her.

She looked round at him and smiled, wondering what he was up to.

"Addie, I love you," he began, taking a deep breath. "These last few months have been amazing, and I couldn't imagine being this happy with anyone else but you. And I want to spend my whole life like this. Basically, what I'm trying to say is," he took her hand and went down on one knee in front of her. "Addie will you marry me?"

Addison gasped and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Yes!" she smiled and pulled him up as he slipped the ring on to her finger. "A million times yes!"

GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA

Three months on-The Honeymoon

Alex watched Addison sleeping, her chest rising gently. He smiled to himself as he remembered their wedding the previous day. The weather had been good (rare for Seattle, as many people had commented), warm and bright sunshine with as slight breeze. Everything had gone smoothly, the guests (even Mark) not making a fuss. Everyone had commented on how beautiful Addison looked (which, of course, she did) and Alex had been sure to tell her the same thing a few dozen times.

He smiled again as he watched her eyes flutter open and meet him. She smiled back at him, and he leant down and kissed her lips gently.

"Good morning," he whispered.

"Good morning to you too," she replied.

"How did you sleep?" he kissed her again.

"Perfectly, thanks," she bit her lip and yawned.

"Good to hear it," he sighed. "I can't believe we got married yesterday," he grinned.

"I know. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and be back in New York or something," she gazed into his eyes.

"I can promise you this is real!" he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him.

"Good," she kissed him gently and he soon deepened the kiss until they had to break apart for air.

"So no regrets?" he asked, as she buried her head into his chest.

"Not at all," she said, her voice slightly muffled by his chest.

He kissed her hair softly and held her tightly against himself. He couldn't imagine being ever happier anywhere else in the world or with anyone else. He never thought he'd find someone he could love as much as he loved her, he didn't even know love this strong was possible.

"I never want to lose you, Addie," Alex whispered.

"You never will," she reassured him, pulling her arms around his back and rubbing circles with her fingers. She pulled her head back to look at him.

"Let's make the most of these two weeks," he smiled and kissed her, running his tongue along her bottom lip. Needless to say, the next two weeks were memorable.

GAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA

Their six month anniversary

"I'm home!" Addison chimed as she walked through the front door into their spacious kitchen. After they'd returned from their honeymoon, they'd decided to look for a house rather than live in Alex's apartment. They looked around several houses before settling on one a twenty minute drive away from the hospital. It had three bedrooms, a large garden with decking and an open plan downstairs with a living room, dining room and kitchen. Addison sighed, kicked her shoes into a box and made her way towards the couch.

"Hey honey," Alex smiled as she sat down next to him, kissing her cheek softly. At the start of their marriage, Alex had had a bad feeling that he was going to mess up and lose her, but he'd quickly become adjusted to married life. "Good day?"

She nodded. "Yeah it was okay thanks." She put her hand on his cheek and kissed him again. She teased her tongue along his bottom lip before he opened his mouth and their tongues danced around each other. He pulled back for air and started twisting his fingers into her hair, pulling her back to kiss him.

They kissed for a while before Addison stood up and grabbed the phone. "You hungry?"

He sat up and looked at her. "Starving!"

Two hours later, they sat surrounded by Chinese food boxes halfway through watching _Titanic_. Addison sat in front of Alex with her head rested on his chest and his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Happy Anniversary Addie," he whispered against her neck.

She smiled. "Happy Anniversary."

"I love you so much," he kissed her shoulder softly.

"I love you too," she took a deep breath. "I have something to tell you."

"What's that?"

"Alex," she turned to face him and smiled. "I'm pregnant."

_I wanna be there for you,_

_Whenever you want me to._

_Darling, chances are free,_

_So take one with me._

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**A/N: Please review! I love you all! **

**Beth**


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